Govt prepares cabinet note for CISF security at all airports

The government has made the final policy push to bring all civil airports in the country under the cover of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), in view of “threats” to national security from possible terror attacks and hijack bids.

The Union home ministry, official sources said, has recently prepared a comprehensive note for the consideration of the proposal by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the home, defence, finance and external affairs ministers as its members. The note is expected to be taken up at the next CCS meeting, they added.

Of the 98 functional airports in the country, 59 are under the armed security cover of the paramilitary CISF, leaving out 39. Of the 26 “hyper-sensitive” airports, 20, including the ones in Mumbai and Delhi, are under the CISF cover while six, including the Srinagar airport in Jammu and Kashmir, are not.

The remaining airports are under other security forces like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) or state police units Of the 56 “sensitive” airports, 37 have the CISF cover, while amongst the 16 “normal” airports, only four have the CISF security.